Condensed and Curated.

This World’s History: 4

Japanese warships will join US naval strike group Carl Vinson as it heads towards the Korean peninsula to act as a deterrent to further North Korean weapons tests.

North Korea has warned that any US aggression will be responded to with nuclear force.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated that they are “committed to the goal of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula”, while advocating for a peaceful resolution. This comes after US President Donald Trump tweeted out that the US is willing to “solve the problem without them”.

After banning coal imports in February, China appears to be distancing itself further from its ally, ordering all Chinese companies to return coal shipments to North Korea and begin buying US coal.

Within Korea, foreign journalists have been told to prepare for a “big and important event” on Thursday. Unconfirmed reports are also suggesting that the ruling DPRK has told 25 percent of Pyongyang’s population to flee the city.

In US-Russia relations, both President Trump and Putin have commented on the rapid deterioration of relations between the two countries. This comes as Russia vetoed a UN resolution that would have condemned the recent Syrian use of chemical weapons. A vote which China abstained from.